Congress strikes again, and quite literally too. It’s interesting to note how similar behavioural patterns have emerged in Congress’ activities in state assemblies. First Telangana, and then Gujarat. Of course, the people were different as were the issues, news these days is about playing spot the difference.
The script stayed pretty much the same, a mic was thrown by a Congress MLA, but this time the victim was a BJP leader. 2 mics in one day, Congress has certainly set a record. Chaos ensued and a dramatic walkout followed. Once again Congress members were suspended from the assembly. MLA Virji Thummar was suspended by Rajendra Trivedi when he interrupted Agriculture Minister RC Faldu during his speech on the budget for agriculture. Thummar despite being warned continued to interrupt Faldu. He even said that if the Speaker wished to suspend him he could do so. Trivedi taking his cue did just that. MLAs Pratap Dudhat and Ambarish Der were suspended for their tones. When BJP’s Jagdish Panchal asked the Congress members to maintain silence, Dudhat attacked him with the rod attached to the microphone.
But the suspension caused a great deal of uproar undoubtedly. Congress began raising anti-BJP slogans. The MLAs began entering the Well of the House. All the 29 Congress MLAs were subsequently suspended. Marshals guided them out. In a show of solidarity, the remaining party members left too. But in the second session, the Speaker revoked the suspensions after MLA Amit Chavda apologised for entering the well. There multiple versions of the story with different Congress MLAs but all the stories conclude with the MLAs being suspended. It seems like a curious chain of events. At least things mulled over in Gujarat while Telangana still remains in upheaval as the Congressmen go on a two-day long hunger strike over a similar matter that went down a completely different road.